Golden Week: Tokyo, 2011

Films

Friday, April 29

Enban International Film Festival 2011
Both as a live venue and CD shop, Enban has been a reliable bastion for terminally obscure indie musicians. Now it's helping those same musicians branch out into film. The grandiosely named Enban International Film Festival 2011 showcases 15-minute shorts made by Tenniscoats, Nisennenmondai, Pikachu and others – many of whom are dabbling in the cinematic arts for the first time. For further details, click here

Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Opening today: Finally, after what seems like years, Edgar Wright's take on the Canadian comic book classic arrives in Japan (albeit only at a handfull of cinemas in Tokyo, notably Cinema Rise in Shibuya). If you haven't already seen it on an import DVD, catch it while you can – it's not perfect, but it's an enjoyable bit of fluff nonetheless. For our full review, click here

The Kids Are Alright
Opening today: It’s the warm, wise humour of The Kids Are All Right that distinguishes it from the pack, even more so than American writer and director Lisa Cholodenko’s decision to make a funny, mainstream drama about a pair of lesbian mothers and what happens when their two teenage children invite the anonymous sperm donor who is their biological father into their comfortable, progressive lives in sunny, suburban California. We give it five stars; a rare event indeed. For our full review, click here

Saturday, May 7

Charlie Kaufman Night
Shin-Bungeiza's Saturday all-nighters are the stuff of cinephile legend, and they've got a particular humdinger lined up for the end of Golden Week. In tribute to the discombobulating screenwriting genius of Charlie Kaufman, the Ikebukuro cinema will be screening four of his films back to back: the Spike Jonze-directed Being John Malkovich (1997), Michel Gondry efforts Human Nature (2001) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2008), and Kaufman's mind-boggling directorial debut, Synedoche, New York (2008). We're not sure what effect watching all of these in one sitting will have on the average movie-watching mortal, but we can only assume it will be pretty amazing. Or terrifying. For further details, click here

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Opening today: Bieber mania reaches its zenith! Pessimists will liken Jon Chu’s polished and proficient all-access documentary to an apocalyptic sign of the times. (An adolescent phenom gets a triumphalist big-screen biography? Where’s that razor?) The converted shall preach the gospel with ear-shattering shrieks and hands raised in heart-shaped ecstasy. Can there be a middle ground? For our full review, click here

Unknown
Opening today: Identity theft? A few dodgy card transactions are nothing compared to Liam Neeson’s travails in this spirited but wonky contemporary thriller. He’s a top biochemist just landed in Berlin. Forgetting his briefcase at the airport, he leaves his wife (January Jones) at their hotel, whereupon an auto snarl-up dumps his taxi in the River Spree – from which he escapes with his life, and little else. No ID, memory shaky. Not much help, then, when the missus claims he’s a total stranger and Aidan Quinn is filling his shoes. Will anyone believe his story? For our full review, click here

Sunday, May 8

Pirates of the Caribbean competition results
Time Out Tokyo has managed to get its helpful hands on three pairs of tickets to the Japan premiere of this surefire Hollywood hit, and we're delighted to say we'll be giving them all to you. The official guest list has yet to be announced, but the rumours are that Penelope Cruz herself may well be in attendance, along with a host of Japanese stars. For a chance to get your name (plus one) on the list, simply click here and read our very simple rules. We'll be announcing the winners on May 8.